After a heartbreaking 130-124 overtime loss to the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night at Chase Center, the Golden State Warriors are officially staring down a brutal reality: time is running out, and the entire franchise is now openly counting the days until Stephen Curry comes back.
The Warriors blew an eight-point lead in the final 90 seconds, dropped to 32-33 on the season, and slipped below .500 for the first time since mid-December. They now sit ninth in the Western Conference, just half a game behind the eighth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers in a tightening play-in race. With only 19 games remaining, the margin for error has vanished.
But amid the frustration of back-to-back losses against non-playoff teams, one voice cut through the noise and gave Warriors fans exactly what they’ve been desperate to hear.
Kristaps Porzingis didn’t hold back when asked about Curry after the game.
“I want to play with Steph. Who doesn’t?” Porzingis said. “I know he’s doing everything he can to be back with us as soon as possible. And obviously, it’s a completely different team with him, so hopefully I get that chance soon.”
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It was the clearest, most direct public statement yet from the big man acquired at the trade deadline specifically to pair with Curry. The two have yet to share the floor. Curry has been sidelined since late January with patellofemoral pain syndrome in his right knee, and every update on his return has remained vague—until now.
Porzingis’ words carried weight because they came from someone who understands the stakes. The Latvian forward played his third game in a Warriors uniform Tuesday, finishing with 17 points in 20 minutes off the bench (5-of-13 shooting, 2-of-6 from deep), four rebounds, two assists, and a plus-4 rating. For a player whose last back-to-back appearances came before Thanksgiving, the performance was encouraging even if the rust was still visible.
The second unit as a whole was outstanding—LJ Cryer, Pat Spencer, Gui Santos, and Porzingis each scored 17 points, outscoring Chicago’s bench by 28. Yet it still wasn’t enough.
Draymond Green recently revealed that Curry has been texting the group chat throughout his absence, delivering the same message over and over: “Keep going. I know it’s tough, but promise you, I’m coming back.”
That promise is now the heartbeat of the locker room.
With Jimmy Butler already lost for the season to an ACL injury and Curry still working his way back, the current roster has been asked to do far more than it was built for. Al Horford, Gary Payton II, and the rest have poured everything into the fight, but the Warriors know the version of this team that was constructed at the deadline—the one featuring Curry, Porzingis, and a re-tooled supporting cast—hasn’t taken the floor yet.
Porzingis made it plain: when Curry returns, everything changes. Defenses will have to account for two elite threats coming off screens, opening up the mismatches and post opportunities that Porzingis was brought here to exploit.
The belief inside the locker room remains unshaken. The determination is real. The bench continues to over-deliver night after night. But without No. 30, this simply isn’t the team the Warriors set out to be.
Porzingis knows healthy windows are precious. He wants his first real chance to share the court with Stephen Curry in a Golden State uniform—and after Tuesday’s raw quote, the entire basketball world now knows exactly how badly he wants it.
The wait has been long. The hope is growing louder.
And after Tuesday night, one thing is crystal clear:
The Warriors’ season doesn’t truly begin until Steph Curry comes back.
Hopefully, that moment is almost here.